The present invention relates generally to strollers, and more particularly, is directed to a stroller which folds while in an upright configuration.
Strollers are known which include a pair of spaced apart side frame halves connected to each other by rigid bars, each half having a main side tube and a rear side tube pivotally connected to the main side tube at an intermediate portion thereof. Each main side tube includes a lower tube portion that is pivotally mounted at its upper end to the lower end of an upper tube portion thereof by means of a conventional locking pivot assembly. The upper ends of the rear side tubes are pivotally connected to a lower section of the upper tube portions.
Hook shaped handles are fixed to the upper free ends of the upper tube portions. The free lower ends of the lower tube portions carry the front wheels of the stroller, while the free lower ends of the rear side tubes carry the rear wheels of the stroller.
Each locking pivot assembly locks a lower tube portion to an upper tube portion, and provides release thereof to allow the upper tube portion to pivot rearwardly with respect to the lower tube portion such that the handles fold over the rear wheels of the stroller.
The above arrangement is known, for example, from strollers sold by Century Products Co. under the mark "TRAVELITE" and those sold by Graco Products Co. under the mark "LITERIDER".
However, a problem with such strollers is that during the folding operation, there is little or no stability to the stroller, so that the stroller must be laid on the ground to completely fold the same. This is objectionable since it is more difficult to control the folding operation, and further puts a strain on a parent's back when lifting the stroller from ground level for storage.
A stroller is known from U.S. Patent No. 5,181,735 to Onishi in which handrail members are pivotally connected between the upper ends of the lower tube portions and the lower ends of the upper tube portions. However, the upper and lower tube portions are offset from each by a large distance so that no conventional locking pivot assemblies can be provided between the upper and lower tubular portions. As a result, a more complex arrangement must be provided for locking of the stroller in its open configuration.